Electrical connector for flexible cable



Nov. 22, 1960 J. KAMM 2,961,629

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR FLEXIBLE CABLE Filed Feb. 12, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ.

@fiff'fij FIG. 2.

//v 1 M70 LAWRENCE d KAMM 5y 7 24/0, A/XLM Nov. 22, 1960 L. J. KAMM2,961,629

ELECTRICAL (IONNECTOR FOR FLEXIBLE CABLE Filed Feb. 12, 1957 FIG 5 4Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. i 3:

Ii in? '7 I Env I 6 //VVEI TIR LAWRENCE (Z K MM ByfiM/W AM ELECTRICALCONNECTOR FOR FLEXIBLE CABLE Filed Feb. 12, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.IO.

7x 40X \\w 1 J aMW/ax 92 Q93 9 INVENTOR L/IWEENCE J KAMM ORNEY Nov. 22,1960 L. J. KAMM 2,961,629

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR FLEXIBLE CABLE Filed Feb. 12, 1957 I 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR LAW/FENCE J KAN/M ATTORNEY United States Patentice ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR FLEXIBLE CABLE Lawrence J. Kamm, 1515Chatsworth Blvd, San Diego 7, Calif.

Filed Feb. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 639,754

7 Claims. (Cl. 339-17) This invention relates to electrical connectors,electrical connector assemblies, and correlated inventions anddiscoveries appertaining thereto.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 296,178 filed June 28, 1952, now Patent 2,881,404, and of thedivision thereof Serial No. 557,086, filed January 3, 1956, nowabandoned.

In my Patent 2,748,364 there are disclosed and claimed forms ofelectrical connectors and electrical connector assemblies whicheffectively satisfy many of the requirements for such articles. Certainof these forms use the printed circuit art to fabricate electricalcontact units. *It is the purpose of this invention to make such contactunits integral with flexible cables, to combine. a plurality of suchcontact units and their associated cables into integral cable-connectorunits, and to group pluralities of contact units from differentcable-connector units into plug assemblies.

The invention further contemplates the provision of improved shieldedelectrical elements.

The invention accordingly comprises articles of manufacture possessingthe features, properties, and relation of elements, and processes forthe formation of certain thereof, which will be exemplified in thearticles and processes hereinafter described, and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of an integralcable-connector incorporating a plurality of male contact units and aninterconnecting cable; 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top view of a plug member embodying a stack ofunitscombined into a single plug;

Fig. 3 is a cross section thru a cooperating female contact unit;

Fig. 4 is a partial cross section of an electrical connector assemblyshowing the operating mechanism in open position;

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 showing the operating mechanism in closedposition;

Fig. 6 is a cross section thru a type of plug usable in Fig. 1;. r

Fig. 7 is a cross section of a r riodified male contact unit engagedwith a female contact unit, both being of shielded construction, andboth being integral with cables; 7

Fig. 8 is a partly sectional view of a male member of the charactershown in Fig. 2 and comprising a plurality of units as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a modification of the cable construction ofFig. 8, the right-hand portions thereof being cut away;

Fig. 10 is a similar view of a further modified male connector-cableconstruction;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view of a further modification;

2,961,629 Patented Nov. 22,1960

Fig. 12 is a partly sectional side view of the connector member thereof;

Fig. 13 is a similar view of a modified connector assembly; and

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a particular cableconstruction.

The drawings illustrate an improved system for interconnecting pieces ofelectrical equipment. In it the cables which are made up of flexibleelements are made integral with the plugs as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8.Contacts and conductors are also integral, being provided, for example,by bonding on a copper foil lamination to provide a conductive coatingand etching out unwanted portions of the laminations, so no solderedassembly is required.

other printed circuit technique, may, as exemplified ink Fig. 1, beutilized to interconnect circuit arrangements running to three differentfemale units, the male units: being themselves interconnected by abranched cable 39.. As exemplified, a male unit 5a has an integralconductor 40 connected to a contact element 8b thereon, an integralconductor 41 connected to a contact element 8c thereon,. and an integralconductor 42 connected to a contact ele-- ment 8d thereon. The conductor40 runs along the'glassn cloth 7 to an integral male unit 5 havingcontact element 8e thereon; the conductor 41 runs along the glass.clotli 7 to a contact element 8g on a similarly-integral; male unit 5h;and the conductor 42runs' to a contact ele-'- ment 8i on asimilarly-integral male unit 5h. A conduc-- tor 43 {runs along theglass'cloth 7 from a contact ele ment 8 on the maleunit 5h to acontactelement 8k om the male unit 5 and a conductor 44 runs along the glasscloth 7 from a contact element 8m on the male unit 5hr to a contactelement 8n on the male unit 5 and all other conductors such, forinstance, as shown at 45 and .46 may: run along the glass cloth 7 toother contact elements om other male units and/or certain of the contactelements; may be left unconnected; all the conductors being integraEwiththe plugs, in the present instance.

As shown more particularly in the form of construe tion shown-in Fig. 6,the male contact unit 5p, which may represent any of the male units 5a,5h or 5f, comprises, in the present instance, a centralinsulating. core6 formed preferably of hard insulating material and carrying on eitherside a sheet of insulating material which may be formed of flexibleglass cloth, for instance, laminated with copper foil from which apattern of Contact element 8 and conductors 40;) is etched or-otherwiseprovided. The rearward portion of the unit 5p" is sheathed by sheets offlexible insulating material 50 such as glass cloth impregnated withphenolic resin. The elements 7 and 50, with the conductors 40p betweenthem, extend rearwardly of the element 6, as shown, to form a cableportion 39p. Each male' unit is adapted to mate with a'female unit 10(Figs. 3-5) comprising outer layers 11 of yieldable insulating materialsuch as rubber carrying therewithin sheets 12 of glass cloth on whichcontact elements 13 are etched or otherwise suitably provided. At theendsof the male-unit-receiving opening 14 are end members 15 which arealso formed of yieldable insulating material such as rubber. The femaleunit-s may be, and as exemplified are, assembled in a stack within ahousing, 20 wherein they are adapted to be compacted after male unitshave been inserted therein. The yielding character of the layers 11 and15 assures an even compacting and effective contacting operation.Compacting means (shown in Figs. 4 and are provided in the form of a camelement movable in a direction parallel to the direction in which themale units are inserted into the female units. In the present instance,a cam 25 operates a wedging element 26 which, as exemplified, movesbetween two slidable wedge-shaped elements 27, 28 which are arrangedbeneath the stack of the female elements. The cam 25 is pivotallymounted at 29 on the housing 20 and is operated by a handle 39 whichextends out conveniently at the front of the housing. The cam 25 acts onthe wedge member 26 by means of rollers 31.

In Fig. 7 there is exemplified a male unit Sq the rear portion of whichis sheathed by underlying insulating sheets 51 like the sheets 7 and 50,and overlying layers 52 of shielding material such as copper, and afemale unit 1051 wherein layers 53 of shielding material such as copperoverlie the insulating layer 12 which carries the contacts 136] andsheets 54 like the sheets 50 sheathe the interior of the rear of thecontacts 13: These layers 51 are laminated in a cable portion 58. Fig. 7also illustrates that the female contacts also may be made integral withcables 59. Not only may the contact and conductor strips 8q-40q and13q-48q be made integral with cables but they may be made integral withstructures supporting and connecting other electrical components. Theouter ones of the sheets 51 and of the sheets 52, and the sheets 54 andthe inner ones of the sheets 53 termihate just short of the cotnactareas. The layers 52 and 53 thus form a substantially continuousshielding on both sides of a mating set of contacts and conductorportions extending therefrom. In the present instance, outer layers 57of impregnated glass cloth are provided outside the outer ones of thelayers 52.

For complex sets of equipment where a single plug cannot have enoughcontacts for a unit or where other reasons make it desirable for aplurality of plugs to engage with one piece of equipment, the plugs ofdifferent cables may be ganged as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 forsimultaneous insertion and withdrawal from a single female connector,such as that shown in Fig. 3. One such arrangement is shown in Fig. 8,wherein there is provided a housing 60 comprising plates 61 and 62united by rods 63 secured by nuts 64. Within the housing there areprovided spacing portions 65 of yieldable insulating material such asrubber in which the sheathed rear portions of the male unit are mounted.A stack of female units 10, Fig. 3, or 104, Fig. 7, may be assembledwithin a housing similar to that of Figs. 3, 4, and 5 for reception ofthe stack of male units of Fig. 8 and a stack of male units 5p may beassembled similarly to the stack of Fig. 8 for insertion in the stack offemale units shown in Fig. 3. Compression means such as shown in Figs. 4and 5 may be provided.

In certain instances, as when flexibility of the cable portion may belimited and where a unitary cable construction is desirable, a pluralityof cables such as the cables 39p of Fig. 8 may be assembled as byadhesive into a unitary cable construction such as shown at 69 in Fig.9.

Cables from such a unitary cable construction may, moreover, be utilizedas leads to contact units which, instead of being assembled into amultiple-unit contact member, as in Figs. 8 and 9, are in the form ofindividual units for individual use. In Fig. there are shown a pluralityof flexible-cable portions 70 each composed of a strip-like sheet offlexible insulating material 7s, as of impregnated glass cloth, carryingprinted circuitry which provides a multiplicity of contacts 89 and ofconductors 40s forming a continuation thereof rearwardly thereof, theconductors 40s being covered by a sheathing of flexible insulatingmaterial 50s, as of impregnated glass cloth. The forward end of eachstrip 7s extends along a transverse stiffening element 71 to provide, inthe present instance,

4 a plug portion 72. The element 71 may be formed of rigid or resilientinsulating or other material. The cable portions are united into aunitary cable portion 695' as by being joined together by adhesive.

Conversely, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a plurality of individual cableportions 73 and 74 similar to the cable portions 39p may run fromelectrical components 75 and 76 and 77 and 78 respectively to a singleconnector member which, in the present instance, is in the form of aplug 80 adapted to be inserted into a female member 81. Each of thecables 73 and 74 is shown in fiexed condition and comprises a sheet 7wof flexible insulating material which may be similar to that of thesheets 7, printed circuitry providing contacts SW and conductors 40wand, over the latter, a sheathing layer of flexible insulating material50w similar to the sheets 50. One or more conductors 40w on the cable 73are connected with the electrical component 75 and another or otherswith the electrical component 76, and one or more conductors 49w oncable 74 are connected at 77 and another or others at 78. The femalemember 81 comprises backing and spacing elements 83 and 84 and 85 ofresilient material such as rubber, the elements 83 and 84 each carryingon its inner surface a sheet 12w of glass cloth carrying on the innersurface thereof printed circuitry providing contact elements 13w adaptedto mate with the contact elements 8w. I

Fig. 13 shows a form of construction in which a plug member wherein thecontacts are backed by material which, like the member 6, provides athick stiff support for the contacts but which is resilient andcompressible; and wherein the plug member is at the end of a flexiblecable portion and mates with a socket provided by two rigid panelscarrying electrical components. A cable 89 similar in all respects tothe cable 39p comprises sheets of flexible insulating material 7x whichcarry printed circuitry providing conductors 40x and contacts 8x andwhich extend over and are secured on either side of a resilient rubbersupporting element 90. A panel 91 of rigid insulating material carryingon its under side printed circuitry 92 and on its upper side electricalcomponents 93, and a similar panel 95 carrying on its upper side printedcircuitry 92 and on its under side electrical components 93, overlie theplug portions, the printed circuitry providing contact portions 13xwhich mate with the contacts 8x. Screws 96 and nuts 97 serve to draw thepanels toward each other to compress the rubber support 90 and to bringthe contacts into firm electrical engagement.

In each of the forms of construction shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 13,connector portions with contact areas are shown only at one end of acable portion; but it will be understood that similar connector portionsmay be provided at the other end, and that similar connector portionsmay be provided at a plurality of other points as exemplified in Fig. 1.

In providing on a sheet such as 51 or 54 a conductive coating and ashielding coating, any desirable method may be employed. The inventioncontemplates particularly forming a complete metallic coating on bothfaces of the sheet and etching out the coating which is to provide theconductors and contact areas in the manner that printed circuitry isetched, or protecting the portions on one face by a material which willresist deposit in those areas where the conductor portions and contactareas are not to appear, and then depositing metal coatings on bothfaces of the sheet.

Fig. 14 shows a plurality of cables running in different directions froma plug assembly as exemplified in Figs. 2 and 8. As shown, the plugassembly is a duplicate of that shown in Figs. 2 and 8. One of thecables 39p running therefrom extends in one direction as shown at 171,another extends in another direction as shown at 172, and a thirdextends in a third direction as shown at 173.

Since certain changes may be made in the above articles and processesand different embodiments of the invention could be made Withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An electrical-connector assembly comprising a flexible cable having aplurality of plug portions, said cable and said plug portions embodyinga flexible insulating sheet bearing a thin flexible conductive adherentcoating subdivided into a plurality of conductors, and each of said plugportions having a plurality of contact areas extending in a paralleldirection and forming parts of said conductors and adapted to be alinedwith similar contact areas in a socket means by a sliding movement insaid direction for engagement therewith, and means forming a pluralityof sockets each having interior parallel walls adapted to detachablyreceive between them one of said plug portions when they are slid insaid direction and having insulating surface portions carrying similarpluralities of contact areas in the form of thin flexible conductiveadherent coatings adapted to be in overlying relationship with theaforesaid contact areas when a plug portion is moved into a socketmeans.

2. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 1 in which at least oneof said sockets comprises an inner insulating sheet and wherein thelast-mentioned contact means comprises contact areas forming part of athin conductive adherent coating on said sheet and subdivided into asecond plurality of conductors.

3. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 2 in in which said innerinsulating sheet and said second plurality of conductors comprise asecond flexible cable.

4. An electrical connector-cable construction comprising a pair ofsheets of flexible insulating material assembled in overlyingrelationship and each having an edge portion which is substantiallyalined with an edge portion of the other, a thin flexible conductiveadherent coating subdivided into a plurality of conductors on the outerface of each sheet and providing contact areas adjacent to said edgeportions, and a stiffening element between said contact areas andterminating rearwardly thereof, said sheets 6 being assembled into acable portion rearwardly of said stilfening element.

5. A construction as in claim 4 wherein said stiffening element isformed of hard material.

6. A construction as in claim 4 wherein said stiffening element isformed of resilient material.

7. An electrical connector assembly comprising a pair of sheets offlexible insulating material assembled in overlying relationship andeach having a surface portion which is adjacent to an edge thereof whichis substantially alined with a surface portion of the other adjacent toan edge thereof, a thin flexible conductive coating subdivided into aplurality of conductors on the outer face of each sheet and providingcontact areas at said surface portions, and a stiffening element betweensaid surface portions and terminating rearwardly thereof, said sheetsbeing assembled into a cable portion rearwardly of said strip, saidstiffening element being formed of resilient material, and a pair ofpanels having faces of insulating material carrying a thin coatingsubdivided into a plurality of conductors providing contact areasadapted to mate with the aforesaid contact areas, each panel overlappingone of said sheets on the outside of the sheet, and means to draw saidpanels together to compress said resilient material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,791,666 Finn Feb. 10, 1931 2,070,400 Greibach Feb. 9, 1937 2,299,140Hanson Oct. 20, 1942 2,377,187 Schey May 29, 1945 2,441,960 Eisler May25, 1948 2,634,310 Eisler Apr. 7, 1953 2,711,523 Willis June 21, 19552,721,153 Hopf et 'al Oct. 18, 1955 2,728,693 Cado Dec. 27, 19552,748,321 Kamm May 29, 1956 2,748,364 Kamm May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS504,950 Belgium Jan. 30, 1952 700,490 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1953 836,504Germany Apr. 15, 1952 976,702 France Nov. 1, 1950

